Wednesday 20 May 2009

Student work.







I did a class on Saturday and was very impressed by the standard of work the ladies produced!

Jane made herself a bangle with gorgeous charms and beads, her Mum Noreen made a wire bracelet and matching pendant with amethysts and Jackie made herself a lovely brooch!

I hope you agree that they did really well! I really enjoy teaching as I love seeing what people come up with. Everyone has access to the same tools and materials but still the outcome is completely different for each person!

Hope everyone is looking forward to the bank holiday weekend! 3 days off!! Though I think I will be working trying to get enough stock together for the Clothes Show!

Sunday 10 May 2009








Here are the pictures of my engagement/wedding ring. The top one is the front, I have included 2 diamonds from my engagement ring and gold from that ring and my wedding ring and a peridot stones. I made the settings myself as the stones were funny sizes. It's really hard to do anything with gold from old jewellery unless you have the tools to melt it down and refine it yourself. I chopped the gold up into little pieces in different sizes. I then melted the gold so that it made little balls which I then hammered flat. I made a silver ring base by making a rectangle band ring and 2 round wire rings which I soldered together. I then soldered the gold shapes on. It was a challenge to do. With my usual work I only really use easy and medium solder as I don't solder many pieces together, this needed hard, medium and easy aswell as gold solder. When all of the soldering was done I filed the band so that gold and silver bits were level and smooth. I added the settings, set the stones and polished. To add a bit extra I gently hammered the sides of the ring.

I really enjoyed making the ring but it was a huge challenge. It's not something I think I would do for someone else as the rings involved are very precious! The settings were particularly hard. Soldering them onto the ring was difficult as I didn't have an even surface to work with due the gaps in the gold shapes. I used 9ct god to make the settings and I found it to be a bit hard when setting so I would probably go for 18ct gold if I were to make gold settings again.

I had a bit of gold left and 2 of the stones so I've made myself a necklace to match. I have one stone left so I thought I'd keep it and if I ever have a daughter I could make something for her with it!

Hope you like it!

Hope you like them!

Woo hoo I'm going to be exhibiting at the Fashion and Textiles Museum in London! I went up for the interview Tuesday and found out yesterday that I had got in! I was starting to think I hadn't got in as it had been a few days. When I was there they told me that they would be exhibiting at the Clothes Show Live and they might take my jewellery with them! I'm very excited and am currently planning how I am going to display my work!!

I have finally finished my ring so will take a picture today as the light is really good.

I'm off swimming with my little boy in a bit and going for a wonder around St Ives (I only live 5mins away). Won't be long till it's really busy with holiday makers so making the most of it now.

Monday 4 May 2009


This is a ring I have done as a commission. The lady who ordered it bought my daisy pendant a few weeks ago and came back and asked for a ring to match. It was quite good fun as I was able to do what I wanted as long as it had a daisy on it. It's got a swirl texture on the top half and a marble texture on the back half. There are also some decorative bits at the back as I'm a bt of a fiddler when it comes to rings, I like to twist them around so I add bits to feel at the back of the ring!!

I'm off to London tomorrow to the Fashion and Textiles Museum!! They will hopefully be taking my jewellery for a 16wk exhibition, as long as the interview goes well! I'm really excited as I'm flying there, haven't been on a plane for ages (I don't get out much lol!!). My big sis Amy is coming with me which I am soo gratefull for as she is way more street smart than me! We thought we were sooo clever getting £2 tickets to Stanstead till we realised how far it is from the city lol!! Should be fun though! Will let you know how I get on!!

I've set the stones on my engagement ring! It's looking really nice, I just need to give it a good polish! I need to empty my tumbler of silver bits as I find that when I put something gold in with silver the silver ends up gold plated!!! Will def have a pic up this week!

Hope you have all enjoyed the bank holiday weekend! xx



Hopefully I can post everything today, I was trying on Friday and Saturday and nothing would post! Hopefully you will be able to see the pictures that my student Carole made when she came in for a private lesson with me on Friday. She made herself a bangle and link bracelet. I think she did a really good job especially as it was her 1st time using silver! Sorry the pictures are a bit pants! Me and Carla (she has jewellery studio next to me) are going to have a play session with a light tent, fancy bulbs and some camera bits and hopefully become photography experts!!

Friday 1 May 2009

I'm going to take some pictures today, I forgot to take my camera to the studio yesterday so couldn't do it then! I have a student in doing a private class today so I'll let you know how she gets on too.

Only 1 more stone to set in my engagement ring! I set the diamonds yesterday and I'm really pleased with how it went. I also set an Amethyst but I didn't like the colour with gold so I've decided to use a peridot instead as it's my favourite colour stone. I'm very excited about it, every time I finished a new stage yesterday I was running into Carla's studio to show her!! I think be the time I soldered the 3rd setting on I had driven her completely bonkers lol!!

Oops best go, my one year old Jack is feeding the dog (who's supposed the be on a diet!) oat cakes!! At least they are low fat!!